(Wismar/Bilbao) On Friday 20th June 2025, the if Student Design Awards 2025 were presented in Bilbao (Spain) at the Guggenheim Museum there. Our design graduate Aleksander Rasztawicki was also honoured on the international stage for his thesis „Lightness - Furniture made of paper” in the category „Responsible Consumption and Production”, supervised by Professors Stephan Schulz and Ulrike Rahe from the Faculty of Architecture ans Design at Hochschule Wismar, University of Applied Sciences. Rasztawicki had already received the faculty's internal „Best Thesis” award for his thesis last year at his graduation ceremony in summer 2024 and was honoured for his work.
The graduate succeeded in designing furniture made of paper with the requirements of lightness, stability and sustainability thanks to classic manufacturing techniques using folding, pressing and layering to create a robust base. The result was a piece of seating furniture, a shelf and a floor lamp.
The material used here refers to the use of vulcanised fibre. Vulcanised fibre is a composite material consisting mainly of cotton and cellulose fibres, i.e. a composite material based on paper. One advantage of the material is its surprisingly high load-bearing capacity combined with low weight and a convincing degree of ecological responsibility. Several work steps are required to give the material sufficient stability for the requirements of a piece of furniture. The material thickness of the award-winning objects is between around 3.2 and 4 millimetres (mm). 4 mm vulcanised fibre weighs 1.26 kg/m². In comparison: 4 mm birch veneer weighs 2.72 kg/m².
„Vulcanised fibres are an excellent material for furniture. It is strong, light, mouldable, durable, environmentally friendly and biodegradable. A perfect blend of innovation and environmental responsibility. A truly intelligent choice!” said the if 2025 expert jury.
The iF Student Design Award is one of the most important design prizes for students worldwide. 2025 was selected from more than 7,000 submissions by a jury of experts. The 100 best entries received prize money totalling 50,000 euros. Participation is free for students. Entries could be submitted in 15 different categories. In the ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ category, the focus is on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns, which are crucial for preserving the livelihoods of current and future generations. iF Design has been an active member of the international design scene since 1953 and is committed to the further development of outstanding design.
Most recently, in 2023, our Master's graduate Isabelle Weniger was honoured with the prestigious award as a successful young designer for her Master's thesis „KURO - Compostable Disposable Product Series” from the Material Culture Design course in the category „Responsible Consumption and Production.”
Aleksander Rasztawicki currently lives and works in Hamburg. He completed his studies in 2024.
